Zzzig goes Home
by Ayesha Jen
Summary: SG1 has taken their friend Zzzig back to her home planet to recover from her injuries. The Goa'uld are back on the planet. - Last Chapter
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret productions, and Gekko productions and anyone I don't know about. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended.

The original characters, situations, and story line are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of said author, me.

**This story is being created for the many Zzzig fans out there who have been pestering me, and because I like writing her! For any that do not know Zzzig she is in Insect Tsunami, Fatal Error and Are we Friends of Lunch, the story lines are in that order.**

"OK," Jack O'Neill snapped a confused and irritated look appearing on his face, "explain it to me again! Why are we here?" He was cold and wet and wanted to dial home. This mission had been a washout, literally. It had rained and rained and yes it had rained some more. They had found old abandoned buildings in a devastated landscape. No Jack thought, _'old wet abandoned buildings in a sodden devastated landscape.'_ Now to top it off Teal'c of all people wanted to stay and investigate further. Even Zzzig stood beside Jack in abject misery, water draining off her carapace onto the ground at his feet. Zzzig hated water and Teal'c was being subjected to the most malevolent glare he had felt in a long time.

Teal'c however was impervious to the rain and the discontent. He was certain this was the planet they were looking for. "General Hammond requested that I bring you to the last planet Apophis conquered before I joined the SGC. The Tok'ra has confirmed that this race was very advanced in technology, we never found such technology. It must still be here we have only to find it."

"There is nothing here but water Teal'c," Jack growled. "I am wet and I am tired it is time to call it a day."

"Teal'c, I am inclined to agree with Jack, we have found nothing here but destruction." Daniel added as he pulled up his collar in a vain attempt to stop water running down his neck.

"Come on Teal'c," Sam added to the argument. "We can't win them all. There is nothing here. Apophis was very thorough in its destruction. If there were weapons they must have been destroyed. They could not have been that powerful."

Jack nodded raised his eyebrows and waved a hand at Sam in agreement and Zzzig hissed turning to skitter toward the Stargate intent on dialling home. Teal'c looked around at his friends and then at the deserted and broken buildings and nodded assent. "At last. Let's get out of here," Jack growled and followed Zzzig toward the Stargate.

Zzzig began to dial home and got to the third symbol and froze. "Zzzig? What is it?" Jack asked.

"I am being watched Jack," Zzzig hissed quietly in agitation.

"Stop dialling," he whispered back and turned to the others and signed a warning to them. They all reacted immediately spreading out toward possible cover rapidly the incessant rain forgotten. Zzzig shut the dialling device down and jumped sideways disappearing up into the nearest ruin with amazing speed.

Sam joined Jack beside a broken wall eyes on the surrounding area. "What is it Colonel?"

"Zzzig said someone was watching," he responded.

"Zzzig is hunting?" Sam queried.

"I imagine so. She isn't injured yet so running and hiding will not occur to her," Jack drawled and Sam grinned in response.

The grin abruptly disappeared as they heard a blood curdling squeal that could only have come from Zzzig. They all left cover running in the direction of the sound. Daniel was closest and burst into the ruin with no regard for his safety.

Jack heard him shout. "No!" Daniel rushed through the building at increased speed. As Jack rushed through the door immediately after he saw Daniel sail through the air colliding with a figure standing over the body of his friend, a spear poised to thrust down. As Daniel landed on top of the alien Teal'c joined him and struck down knocking the spear out of his hand and pinning him by his neck to the floor.

Sam slid along the floor to reach Zzzig and frantically began to find her wounds. Jack watched for a moment and then spun toward her attacker. "Get him bound up Teal'c we'll take him with us. Major how is she?"

"Unconscious sir and bleeding badly. She can't help herself." Sam responded as she tried to slap pads onto her wounds to stop the bleeding.

"Dial home now! Get him up! Daniel cover him if he makes a move shoot the …. Teal'c help me carry Zzzig to the Stargate." Jack ordered and everyone jumped to obey him all worried about the condition of their friend.

"The animal is dead," the stranger growled as he was hauled to his feet. "Why do you bother?"

"If she dies, I will kill you myself," Daniel spat at him and shoved him forward.

As Jack and Teal'c lifted the awkwardly shaped spider and hurried toward the Stargate Sam was dialling in the IDC. Sam and Teal'c grabbed the prisoner and pushed him through the Stargate with Daniel following immediately. Sam turned to help carry Zzzig into the event horizon.

As they exited General Hammond was barking orders. "Get a medical team down here now! Dr Jackson what happened?"

"This, person, was on the planet. We were about to leave when Zzzig sensed him. She went to look for him and he attacked her," Daniel responded and Hammond motioned for the security detail to take the prisoner. SG1 carefully lowered Zzzig to the floor at the bottom of the ramp as a flurry of activity in the doorway pushed guards and Generals alike out of the way to reach Zzzig. The spider had become a very popular member of the SGC and the prisoner could feel the hostility radiating towards him.

"Get that man out of here!" Hammond roared as he saw Zzzig's injuries and the prisoner was hustled none to gently away.

Dr Fraiser rushed in shortly after the medical team and bent over Zzzig. "We need to get her to her room, lift her onto the trolley."

"Doctor?" Jack's voice posed a question.

"We need to wake her up if she is to stand any chance of survival Colonel. There is only so much I can do for her. Her own healing powers are so much more effective for her biology." Fraiser told him worriedly as she was rushed from the room.

"Where is that…" Jack angrily began but Hammond interrupted him immediately.

"Go with Zzzig Colonel, we will deal with your prisoner. SG1 is dismissed, debriefing in one hour," he added. The team hurriedly followed Fraiser down to Zzzig's quarters.

When they arrived a bag had been attached to Zzzig and was being infused and Jack looked questioningly at the Doctor. "Only sterile water and some minerals, we can't reproduce her blood. Sam, how about the healing device or maybe the mother stone?" Fraiser asked and Sam nodded and rushed away to her lab to return with the only things they thought might be of help.

Sam looked at both the Goa'uld healing device and the mother stone and then made the decision to use both at the same time. With both hands hovering over the body of her friend she concentrated and they both began to glow. As the team looked on Sam tried to visualise Zzzig's differences and the wounds. Slowly she worked her way around the body but nothing seemed to happen. She stopped and shook her head to stop a buzzing that had begun in her ears at the effort required.

"Sam," Daniel said uneasily. "Be careful you don't hurt yourself."

"Carter," Jack added. "If you can't do it Zzzig would not want you to come to harm trying."

"I can do this," Sam responded and began again.

"Jack," it was barely a whisper but he immediately moved to her head.

"Zzzig? You have to cocoon. We don't know what to do for you," Jack told her. After a moment Zzzig spat and a lump of gooey thread hit his chest. Jack looked down and grimaced. "Or Zzzig you know how I hate that."

"You knowsss what to do," she hissed quietly as Jack began peeling the substance off his shirt. He carefully began applying it too the largest of the wounds working to close the hole.

Sam carried on using the device for a while longer but Fraiser could see her visibly weakening. "Stop now Sam," she ordered but Sam began to collapse and the connection with Zzzig was broken anyway. Daniel and Fraiser caught her and lowered her into a seat before returning to Zzzig.

Zzzig spat again and it hit Teal'c who had taken Jack's place by her head. He scraped the substance from his chest and began applying it to another wound. Daniel immediately took his place and put out his hands. Zzzig filled his hands and Daniel went to work. "Ressst I need before I can sssspin." Zzzig whispered.

Fraiser checked her, "She is unconscious again but I think she is a little better. Leave her for a while now and I will keep an eye on her. I will let you know when she starts to cocoon. There is nothing else we can do."

"Right," Jack agreed as he rubbed his sticky hands on his trousers. "Debriefing in a few minutes. Let's get out of this wet gear and up to Hammond. Carter you OK to do this?"

"Yes sir. Feel OK now, just a bit tired," Sam responded.

"Come down to the Infirmary as soon as you have seen Hammond," Fraiser told them as they left the room.

**Let me know if you like this.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Several hours after SG1 brought Zzzig home seriously injured**

Hammond would not allow Jack O'Neill into the interrogation room. His suggestion that Teal'c interrogate the prisoner they brought back was also met with a negative. The General had no intention of letting any of the members of SG1 near the prisoner. He wanted answers not a corpse and in their present state of mind he suspected it could happen. Like himself they had developed a very strong bond with Zzzig, she had a way of doing that to people.

On this occasion though he believed he knew the perfect people to take over the interrogation and he smiled as he picked up the telephone. "Put me through to the NID," he said. "I want to speak to agent Barratt."

"Hello Barratt this is General Hammond at the SGC…" he listened for a moment and responded. "We have someone you may be interested in taking from us. We have him under guard here at the moment… Yes he is… I look forward to seeing you shortly." He looked up to see Jack O'Neill stood in his doorway as he put down the phone. "It is customary to knock before you enter," he commented.

"Sorry Sir," Jack responded but Hammond could see a question in his eyes and a total lack of contrition over his lapse.

"I have just contacted the NID. Barrett* is coming in to take the prisoner off our hands," Jack was informed.

"Yes," Jack snapped off gleefully. "They will make his life a misery if he does not give them any useful information. I can live with that."

"A small smile surfaced on Hammond's face. "I thought you would appreciate us following procedure for a change," he responded.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "We always follow procedure don't we sir?" he asked as the phone on the desk rang.

Hammond picked it up and listened for a moment. "We will be right down." He replaced the phone as he rose from behind the desk. "Fraiser says Zzzig is awake but is having problems and is asking for you all." Jack immediately turned to leave and Hammond followed.

In the special room set aside for their alien spider friend Jack found Sam, Daniel and Teal'c already fussing around Zzzig. He entered the room and sauntered up to the spider showing none of the concern he felt for his friend. "What's up?" It was a general question aimed at anyone who would reply.

"Zzzig is not up," Teal'c responded immediately and Jack raised an eyebrow.

"What Teal'c means is that Zzzig cannot raise herself to create her cocoon," Sam explained.

"Then we had better raise her had we not?" Jack responded looking at Doctor Fraiser.

"How?" Daniel responded. "If we lift her we will get in the way and get stuck in the silk stuff."

"Then use a hoist," Jack responded. "It doesn't take a genius to sort one out and bring it down here."

"I told you Jack would know whatsss I need," Zzzig hissed gently and Jack walked around so that she could see him. "When thisss isss done, I mussss go to Ralla, I cannot make myssself whole again without help."

"Will Ralla help?" Jack asked not at all sure that one spider would be all that important to a mass mind.

"I think Ralla will help if ssshe isss repaired now," Zzzig answered.

Hammond was busy on the intercom they had set up in the room arranging for a hoist to be brought. The chef from the cafeteria arrived carrying a large plate of meat. Jack looked at the red mess on the plate and then at the man. "I thought Zzzig might need some protein to help her gain some strength sir."

"Zzzig you have a visitor," Daniel told her. "He has some food for you."

"Ssssandy?" Zzzig hissed a query and the man hurried past his commanding officers to reach her.

"I have your favourite food here," he told Zzzig and held a piece up to her mouth so that she could take it. Watching her swallow the food or the saliva dripping from her mouth didn't seem to faze him at all.

"Do you ever wonder why we all accept her so readily?" Sam asked quietly.

"That thought has crossed my mind more than once," Hammond replied. "But you must admit she has been an invaluable ally. The SGC has found her presence very useful."

"That is true," Jack added into the conversation. "I cannot count the number of times one of the other teams has tried to lure her away from us." Jack grinned as he thought about the various methods attempted. Food, toys, promises of every kind had been used but Zzzig stayed with SG1 from choice. "If she goes back to her home planet Zzzig may decide to stay there." Jack commented while he watched her being fed. "I know that she said there was nothing there for her and that she was one of a kind, but it was still her home."

"We will see what happens when she comes out of her medicinal cocoon," Hammond commented. "It would be a loss to the SGC if one of the few aliens to join our forces chose to leave us." As they were speaking the sound of wheels and feet in the corridor heralded the arrival of the hoist Hammond had called for.

"Put it in the corner of the room and we will move the infirmary trolley to it," Jack suggested.

As soon as the hoist was in place Teal'c wheeled the trolley into position and Fraiser found there was no room left for her. Jack and Teal'c got on either side of Zzzig and lifted her up as Sam pulled the trolley away. Daniel grabbed the spider's head as she seemed to begin tipping over and Jack wondered how two of them had managed to carry her to the Stargate when she was injured. Slowly Sam manoeuvred the hoist under her and Daniel pulled the sling into position then they let her settle into it while making sure none of her legs were trapped. They carefully pushed the hoist back into the corner but Zzzig found she could not stretch around it properly to reach the walls.

Hammond and Fraiser then watched in mild amusement while the SGC's premier team took extruded silk threads from their friend and slapped the ends on the wall and wrapped it around her. Once she was securely tethered Zzzig found that she could continue on her own and began to work slowly wrapping more and more of the silken strands around herself until she disappeared from view. The team had backed up and watched with satisfaction while they tried rubbing the sticky residue from their hands and faces. In fact it seemed to have gotten pretty much everywhere.

Hammond looked at the four of them and a smile appeared. "I think showers are in order. I will arrange for your team to take a trip to Ralla to check out the current situation there before we risk taking our injured friend through the Stargate. We have no way of knowing how much the planet has recovered or if the Goa'uld have tried to return."

"Yes sir." Jack responded. "We also have no way of knowing if the Brega have tried to return there either."

"That is true. I think extreme caution will be called for on this first trip," Hammond stated.

"We should take the mother stones with us," Sam commented. "We may be able to communicate with Ralla."

"Good idea," Jack responded. "Anyone else got any bright ideas if she doesn't want to talk to us?"

"Ralla communicated with you O'Neill and you did what she required of you. Why should she not communicate with you again?" Teal'c asked.

Jack grimaced. "She communicated with me through Zzzig. Don't know if I am up to doing it without her help, maybe Carter can."

**Reviews would be appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 3

The Stargate blossomed with energy wiping out a new sapling that had grown in front of a Stargate that had not opened in some time. After a minute or two the MALP appeared and trundled down the ramp. It ran over the stump of the sapling which caught underneath. The MALP strained forward and snapped it shorter still before continuing on its way. Around the MALP the land began to move and darken and slowly a moving mound of insects built up around it. They began crawling over the MALP and into crevices in the outer armour. The technician at the SGC stopped its forward motion and swung the camera around so that SG1 could see the terrain.

"Don't move it any more you will crush the insects," Sam told him with concern.

The technician gave the Major a strange look. "Yes Mam," he responded and stopped all vehicle movement.

"What do you think Colonel? Will they attack us if we go through? I mean we can carry the mother stones with us, which may give us a measure of protection." Sam offered.

"May?" Jack responded. "It's been a while, we don't even know if she will remember us."

"It does not look like anyone has used the Stargate in a long time," Daniel commented as he almost put his nose to the screen as he examined the area that was showing. "Wow!" He flinched away from the screen and everyone turned to stare at him. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Jack asked.

"It appeared to be a very large insect," Teal'c offered. "Not as big as Zzzig but a spider."

"Do you think Ralla created another mouth piece?" Sam asked no one in particular as she moved the technician over and sat down at the console and controls. "Colonel, try talking to it and see if it responds."

Jack grimaced. "Talk to a spider?"

"You talk to Zzzig," Daniel pointed out.

"Yes, but Zzzig is… Zzzig," he responded somewhat lamely even to his own ears.

"Sir?" Sam queried and Jack sighed and moved forward.

He decided to pretend he was talking to a human, that way he wouldn't feel so silly. "Hello there we need to talk to Ralla. Is there anyone there who can help us?" He waited a moment and then flexed his hands at Sam questioningly.

"Try again Sir," she responded looking back at the screen a small smile trying hard to appear.

Jack's eyes narrowed as he looked at her but he turned back to the microphone. "Is there anyone there who can help…?" It was his turn to flinch as a large multi-faceted eye peered into the camera lens.

"Yessss. Ralla awaitssss," it hissed quietly. "Where isss the One?"

"The One?" Jack looked around the room his eyes coming to settle on Daniel's face.

"Possibly Zzzig?" Daniel hazarded.

"If you mean my friend Zzzig she has been injured and we need to bring her home. We only want to do so if it is safe," Jack told the eye.

"It isss not ssssafe but you mussst bring. We need," it said.

"You need what exactly?" Jack asked forgetting who the eye belonged too.

"The pain giverssss have returned. They begin to hurt Ralla again," it explained.

"The pain givers." Jack muttered. "General?"

"I'm here Colonel," Hammond answered from directly behind him and Jack straightened in surprise.

"The pain givers are back Sir."

"The pain givers?" Hammond demanded. "Who are they Colonel?"

"The Goa'uld Sir. They are obviously mining on the planet again. The one we destroyed was obviously not the only one who knew that they could use this crystal. The insects have the Stargate Sir; it should be safe to return."

"Zzzig is still seriously injured. Doctor Fraiser does not want her moved yet."

"She will heal faster back with Ralla Sir." Jack responded.

"How do we know that?" The General voiced his very real concern.

"She brought me back from the dead Sir. That sort of speaks volumes to me," Jack responded immediately.

The General looked at his premier team thoughtfully for a moment. "We have no teams at present to back you up and there are Goa'uld on that planet Colonel."

"The insects will look after us Sir," Sam responded. "They did last time."

"You want me to trust your lives to a planet full of insects?" Hammond questioned frustration clear on his face.

"Yes Sir." Jack responded as if it was a statement and not a question.

Hammond shook his head as he looked at his Second in Command. "OK. I may regret this but you have a go."

Jack turned to the microphone. "We're on our way." Then the group scrambled to get their gear together and met in Zzzig's room armed with scrapers to detach her from the wall.

"Leave her in the hoist until we get to the Stargate," Jack suggested.

"At least we managed to find something that cuts her threads now. There was a time when she was the only one who could separate them, especially when they were fresh."Sam commented as everyone started hacking at the threads stuck to the metal walls. It took them several minutes before she settled back into the hoist. The sling was wrapped in the cocoon and would just have to go with them through the Stargate.

They pushed her along the corridor into the lift everyone scattering out of the way of the hurrying group. The Stargate was dialling out as they arrived in the Gate Room and the energy spout pushed outward with a roar and settled into place. Several soldiers helped push the hoist to the top of the ramp and then helped remove the sling to settle her into Teal'c, Jack and Daniel's arms. When they were all ready Sam stepped through the event horizon with a M72 anti tank weapon slung over her shoulder and a P90 raised and ready, then they followed.

They exited the Stargate into a hail of fire and dropped Zzzig rapidly to the ground diving for cover and joining Sam in the defence of their position. As they watched the Jaffa advance on the Stargate, energy began emanating from the edge of the woodland and a groundswell of large insects poured out and overwhelmed their attackers. They watched as the screening the Jaffa carried crackled and died in an eerie green glow. Then the Jaffa disappeared under mounds of crawling, biting and stinging insects. The sound of a glider closing in brought them up to their knees and they began firing on it as it passed. Then Sam lifted the M72 and fired turning the Glider into an exploding ball of fire. Finally

there was just the hissing sound of insect movement around the area.

They stood and stared at the mass of glowing insects. "That's new," Jack commented. "I think Ralla has found a new defence since we were last here. I wonder what other tricks she has learned."

They turned back to lift Zzzig's cocoon and carry it down toward the insects but they did not part for them. They stood undecided on what to do next when a much smaller version of Zzzig glided forward carefully through the mass.

"Looks like the General has arrived," Daniel commented with a raised eyebrow.

"Wonder if it was originally the same species as Zzzig?" Sam added.

"As long as he or she is friendly I don't care," Jack responded as it arrived in front of them.

"Pleassse put the one you call Zzzzzig down and we will carry her," it said. They lowered her back to the ground and watched as the insects closed in and flowed around them to pick up Zzzig's cocoon.

"Are you Ralla or do you have your own name?" Jack asked curiously.

It gave Jack an eerie glittering stare before it replied. "Mother says that I am Zzzag."

"Well what do you know," Jack said with a grin. "A whole planet with a sense of humour."

The wave of insects began to move away at speed and SG1 picked up the pace to stay with them. Zzzag glided forward beside them and after a moment it asked a question. "Why did Zzzig go with you from Ralla?"

"Ralla went to sleep and she was left on her own. She did not know what to do so she came with us."

"What did the One do?" it asked.

"She helped us fight the glowing eyes and she had fun," Daniel responded.

"You fight the glowing eyessss?"

"Where ever we find them," Jack responded. "Where are we going?"

"Where the glowing eyessss cannot sssseeee," it responded and Jack was certain it was laughing.

**As ever reviews are welcome**


	4. Chapter 4

The wooded area became a tangled mess the further they travelled making it difficult to traverse. "Where are you taking us?" Jack asked their guide. "This can't be good for Zzzig. Her cocoon is getting torn."

"Will be there sssoon," Zzzag responded.

"Where is there?" Sam Called out as she plucked twigs from down her neck and kicked at a root that nearly had her on her knees.

"We take you to the sssource," the black spider explained.

"The source?" Daniel asked as he dragged his sleeve from another thorny bush tearing it in the process.

The spider looked at the tear in the jacket. "Your shell is weak," it commented. "To the centre of mother to heal Zzzig."

"To the centre of mother," Jack repeated waving his team airily onward then looked a question at Sam. She just shrugged as she was more concerned with staying on her feet at that moment than working out what that might mean.

"To the place from which the voice emanates," Teal'c suggested to their surprise. "If they are taking Zzzig there it must be where the power is strongest."

"That would be logical sir," Sam admitted.

"If they follow a logic we understand," Jack drawled and walked on. Sam's grin reappeared as she wondered. _'How does he do that?'_

The woodland around them began to darken quickly which Jack found distinctly odd as he knew it was a while before the sun was due to set. He peered ahead into the darkness wondering what was causing it and tightened his grip on his weapon nervously. Then as they continued into its depth he saw it. There was a cave entrance which was barely visible in the gloom. The insects were pouring into its mouth and took Zzzig with them. Zzzag left them behind in his haste and disappeared into the cave. From the cave entrance Jack could discern a faint pulsating glow and looked at his team visible only by the flickering light.

"Well?" He queried.

"Sir, I am getting a very strange sensation from in there." Sam shook her head as she tried to clear it. "It's like I can hear this huge crowd, but just noise, no words."

"Are you hearing the insects Major Carter?" Teal'c asked.

"Yes, I think I am. Colonel I think Ralla is a hive mind. The crystal connects and amplifies it." Sam exclaimed.

"If this is a hive mind it appears to be one that is friendly to us. Let's not annoy it by being tardy." Jack commented and stepped in through the cave entrance, and then he stopped and turned. "If it is a hive mind, where is the queen? There will be a queen won't there?"

"I don't know sir. A hive as we understand it would have a queen or leader of some sort. It doesn't mean it is true in all instances, just on Earth."

They walked into the cave which was much larger than appeared on the outside and followed the trace of light flickering off the walls. Jack was leading the way with the others cautiously following when he sensed a change but he did not react fast enough. Sam suddenly ran past him and he tried to catch her but missed. "Carter!" he yelled but she ignored him. The three men began to run after her wondering what was wrong. "Carter!" Jack yelled again but she just kept running.

"Sam!" Daniel called desperately. "What's wrong with her?" he shouted at Jack.

Suddenly she stopped and they almost ran into her. Jack grabbed her arm. "Carter! What's wrong?" She didn't answer him but her arm rose slowly and she pointed. They all turned and looked in the direction she was pointing. Jack's weapon sank as he stared toward the high cavern wall opposite the light reflecting off his face. The whole wall appeared to be pulsing with a red internal light as if it was alive. "What the …" his voice died as he could not find the words. At the base of the wall a myriad of insects were frantically working to remove the cocoon from around Zzzig and manoeuvre her into an alcove. "Let's help," Jack suggested and walked directly toward Zzzig. The insects scurried out of his way and Daniel and Teal'c followed him. They bent over Zzzig and helped push her into the alcove but they did not notice that Sam had not followed them.

Teal'c stood up and looked around. "I do not see Major Carter," he told the others and Jack looked around the cavern. The pulsing light threw oscillating shadows across the walls making it difficult to see clearly.

"She is obviously being affected by the… this huge crystal thing. We had better find her. Daniel, stay with Zzzig. Teal'c and I will look for her," Jack ordered and Daniel nodded agreement and sat against the wall next to the alcove. "Err, Daniel. That thing is affecting Sam."

"Yes," Daniel responded puzzled.

"You're leaning on it," Jack pointed out and Daniel jumped and moved a few feet away.

"I'm fine. Go find Sam," he told them.

As they turned to leave a shadow moved beside Jack and he spun round to find Zzzag at his feet. "Zzzag," he sighed. "Don't creep up on me like that I could step on you."

"I no creep," it retorted. "What you do?"

"We're going to look for Carter, she is missing," Jack told him.

"Not missing, with mother," Zzzag responded.

"Where is she with mother?" Jack asked patiently for him.

"I show. The She is not harmed," Zzzag responded and Jack noticed his use of Zzzig's name for Sam.

"Can you hear Zzzig now?" Jack asked as they followed the spider.

"Yessss, sshe ssspeaksss to mother now. Zzzig tellsss about your world and your fight with the glowing eyesss. Mother is pleasssed."

"I am so glad," Jack drawled and the spider stopped and tilted his body toward Jack as if considering him.

"Thisss isss funny, yesss?"

Jack grinned, he couldn't help it. They were in a world full of insects that had intelligence and yet they seemed like children to him. _'They are very dangerous children but children none the less,'_ he decided. It was then that he finally realised why he was drawn to Zzzig, why they all were drawn to her. It was like having an intelligent, lively child around who was never the less able to defend herself extremely well. _'Most of the time.' _'Where is Sam?" He asked again.

"Here," the spider responded and turned and looked toward the far corner of the cavern.

It took Jack a moment to realise what he was looking at and he wondered as he hurried over how it had happened so fast. Sam was hanging from the wall attached to a large vein of the pulsing crystal. Her head was still visible but her arms and legs were hidden by the web holding her in place. "Sam," he whispered ignoring Teal'c's presence. "What have they done to you?"

"You must release Major Carter at once," Teal'c told the spider.

"I cannot. The Ssshe talksss to mother. Sssoon mother will ssspeak. The Ssshe will ssspeak for mother."

"Don't you speak for mother?" Jack asked. "And Zzzig. You don't need Carter."

"We speak for mother but now the She will do it better," Zzzag explained.

"Colonel." Sam's voice was so quiet he almost missed it.

"Carter. We'll get you down from there." Jack called as he reached up for her and then looked around for something to stand on to reach her.

"It's alright Colonel, they haven't hurt me. Well," she admitted, "my head hurts a little from the volume of information I have just been given."

"Information?" Jack asked giving her only half his attention as he continued to search for something with which to reach her.

"O'Neill," Teal'c called as he returned with a large chunk of rock. "We should build a pile of these."

"Good idea," Jack agreed and they both began piling rocks.

"That really isn't necessary sir…" Sam objected.

"We are going to get you down Carter," Jack told her.

"Yes sir, but they are letting me down now," she responded and Jack heard a resounding snap and Sam fell on top of him.

Jack found himself looking up into the face of his 2IC. "Hi Carter. You know that under other circumstances this could be called a happy accident. However…"

"Sorry Sir," Sam responded immediately and rolled away from him. Teal'c offered his hand and pulled Sam to her feet.

"You OK?" Jack asked as he got up.

"I am sir, but this planet has a serious problem. We need to find a way to get the Goa'uld off it permanently."

"Tell me something I don't know." Jack responded as he brushed himself down.

"Mother has a plan." Sam responded. "You are not going to believe what she told me."

**Reviews always welcome**


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm rapidly losing the mood for guessing Carter," Jack replied a little shortly. "Just tell me what mother has told you."

"Well she or they I suppose…"

"Carter," Jack interrupted her before she could slide off the subject.

"Yes sir, sorry sir," she responded. "It seems they know the Kabeiroi."***

"The Kabeiroi?" Jack responded.

"Kasmilos and Axiokersa, their people sir."

"I know who they are. How do they know them?" Jack responded a little impatiently as they headed to where Daniel would be waiting. The flickering light in the cave was beginning to cause Jack a headache and he could swear he could hear those voices Sam was talking about.

"It seems that the Kabeiroi came here a long time ago and something they did woke mother up." Sam frowned as she explained and tried to work out the puzzle.

"What is it that worries you Major Carter?" Teal'c asked.

"Not worried Teal'c, just finding it hard to understand what I have been given. I think that they visualized the activation of the crystalline structure within the ground of this planet. Something that the Kabeiroi did connected the life on the planet through the crystal. Then they left and did not return here." Sam finished her line of thought as they found Daniel and the alcove.

"Are you OK Sam?" Daniel asked as he clambered to his feet.

"Yes I'm fine now," she responded. "They just wanted to talk to me," she told him.

"They hung you from a wall Carter," Jack responded. "Without asking first. As for the Kabeiroi they probably didn't return here for the same reason they never returned to Earth. The Goa'uld tried to wipe them out and left them dependent on those little things to survive. You know… those things." Jack waved his hands about as he tried to describe the Kabeiroi nanite technology.

"The length of time that the insects have been an intelligent hive is a little hazy to say the least, but it could be as simple as that," Sam mused as she flopped down beside the alcove trying to see Zzzig. "Zzzig is almost healed. She should be out soon," she told them.

A familiar voice drifted out of the alcove to confirm what she said. "I am awake and sssssinging to mother a sssstory of my journeyssss. All want to know of the Tauri of the earth."

"And this is a good thing?" Jack drawled as he dropped to the floor away from the crystalline structure.

"Yessss, good. They know you will help again. The Ssshe knows what issss needed," Zzzig told them.

"The She?" Daniel queried.

"Yes Daniel. Apparently they are now all calling Carter the She," Jack explained.

"We need to contact Kasmilos and see what they have to say about all this." Jack commented.

"Mother thinks that they will be able to stop the Goa'uld from destroying her," Sam explained. "They, I mean mother, oh I still don't know how to refer to them, her!" Sam shut her eyes and grimaced.

"What say we just call her mother and be done with it?" Jack suggested. "We know what we mean, even if we can't explain what we mean."

"Hmmm, yes sir. Well mother thinks of the Kabeiroi as the creators which in a way I suppose they are. She knows that her consciousness, her sentience was created by them. We need to know if they are still interested in this planet and will they help find a permanent solution to the Goa'uld incursions?"

"It means going back to Taenarus and making contact. We have not heard from them in a long time," Daniel commented. "I have wondered why we have not maintained contact."

"They did help us with technology for the defence of the Tauri home world," Teal'c commented. "They appear much more inclined to help other races than a lot of peoples we have come in contact with."

"I wonder if they include bugs in that definition." Daniel murmured.

"I am not a bug," Zzzig scolded as she crawled out of the alcove and shoved Daniel out of the way but Daniel just grinned and slapped at her leg as she passed him.

"How're you? All healed up?" Jack asked.

"Yesss Jack. Now we ssstop the glowing eyesss," Zzzig demanded.

"We need to go see some friends about that, but we also have to go back to the SGC and report to Hammond about the Goa'uld presence. So reconnaissance first for more information to take back, OK?"

"OK," Zzzig responded. "Zzzag help?"

"Is Zzzag like you were before you came with us?" Jack commented.

"He is a different colour and sex," Daniel commented but Jack ignored what he considered a fatuous remark.

"Yesss, mother made him for me," Zzzig explained "I did not know thisss and he hasss been alone long time."

"A mate?" Sam asked.

"Yesss, but I no want a mate. I am Zzzig, I am different," she responded.

"Then why do you want Zzzag to help?" Jack asked quite reasonably he thought but Zzzig hissed at him.

"I no want, mother wantssss!" Zzzig hissed bad temperedly and skittered toward the cave entrance.

Jack rose quickly to follow her and called the others. "We need to go see what the Goa'uld are up too. It should be getting dark so now is a good time, move it." Jack noticed that Zzzag was following. "If you're coming with us you do as you are told," he told him and Zzzag hissed. "Everyone seems to be grumpy today," Jack drawled sardonically.

The team followed the two spiders along the base of the rock face for several clicks before being guided over the top and into open country. Although it was now night they all recognised the direction and realised they where heading for the same mines that the Goa'uld had dug before. "I don't get it," Jack grumbled. "Did we or did we not flood the rift and collapse the mines?"

"We did indeed flood the rift," Teal'c confirmed.

"The mines should have been totally collapsed," Daniel added.

"We saw the rift sides collapsing in on themselves with the force of the water we released through the dam." Sam stated. "No way are those mines still operational."

"And yet that is where they are taking us," Jack commented.

Zzzag stopped to turn and look at his human companions. "You talk too much, sssomeone may hear ussss."

"Zzzag is right Jack. We are getting closssser to the minesssss. They have dug down from the wilderness above the rift we flooded. They ssssuck the water from the hole and dig and sssuck and dig and…"

"We get the picture Zzzig," Jack whispered. "Now who's talking too much?"

"We can sssee from here in these treessss," Zzzag interrupted and everyone crept forward through the undergrowth to the tree line.

Above what remained of the rift a tall golden pyramid stood with a wide shimmering screen protecting it and the site of the mine. Jack surveyed the ship and its surroundings with his field glasses and then passed them along. "That is one fortified mine. I wonder which Goa'uld it is this time."

"Well, they do not have a contingent of Bregan miners. It looks like Jaffa are doing the work. I wouldn't have expected that," Daniel commented but Teal'c remained silent until he had taken a good look at the site.

He handed the glasses back as he finally stated. "At least two of the workers are known to me. They are part of the rebellion and would appear to be prisoners being forced to work in the mine."

"Another reason to find a way to stop them," Sam muttered, "but we are out gunned and out numbered."

"Yes, we need to report to Hammond and try and get hold of Kasmilos to see if they are willing to help. I don't know how willing to get involved our people will be, although I suppose stopping this supply of crystal would be good. My only worry is that some bright spark might think destroying the planet would be a viable option. " Jack made the comment as he backed up and they crawled away again. "Shortest route to the Stargate I think. Zzzig?"

"Thisss way," she hissed and began to retreat in a slightly different direction. "They do not leave the sssshelter of their hive if they can avoid it, sssso no one isss in our way." So the team and the two spiders made their way undetected back to the Stargate.

Jack quickly realised that Zzzag had no intention of leaving them and that he was expecting to go through the Stargate with Zzzig. As Daniel dialled home he considered what to do. "Zzzig," he called to her. "If Zzzag comes with us you must keep him in line. You know the sort of thing. Where not to hang webs, who not to kill or wrap up. That sort of thing."

"Everything I knowsss Zzzag knows," she responded.

"I will do exactly assss you order," Zzzag replied jumping and bobbing in excitement.

"General Hammond will not be pleased," Teal'c commented.

"I know, but mother wants it," Jack responded with a twinkle in his eyes.

***References the story The Gate of Taenarus

**This is definitely the last chapter before I go aboard**.** I am sorry but it will be at least two and a half to three weeks before another chapter will be written. The Universe willing I will post again shortly after the 6th June**. **Please review story so far.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the long wait, I hope you enjoy the next few chapters.**

General Hammond was still pondering recent events in his office. Swinging his chair away from his desk he stretched his legs and settled further into it. This latest SG1 return really had given him a headache. Two large spiders now graced the SGC with their presence and he already had teams vying for Zzzag to be attached to them. If someone had told him he would have off world teams clamouring for aliens to be assigned a while ago he would have laughed. It had taken no end of time for the Russians to be accepted by most and there was still suspicion among SGC personnel about Tokra motives and involvement in their work. _'What was it about these spiders that made them so likeable?' _He sighed and turned back to his desk.

He still needed to sort out the permission for SG1 to go back to Taenarus and all that could entail. As helpful as the Kabeiroi had been there were those in the government that viewed them with suspicion. Being beholden to a race with superior technology had made some elements nervous. _'Why couldn't they all agree on what they wanted and let us get on with the job in hand!' _He reached for the telephone to make a call to an old friend. Another political game to play to placate nervous superiors with possibilities of more advanced technology to help them fight the Goa'uld. At least with the Kabeiroi they had already proved their willingness to help.

A tap on his door brought his eyes up to meet Jack O'Neill's as he put down the phone. Jack raised a questioning eyebrow and Hammond waved him into the office to take a seat.

"Doc cleared us and Zzzag, I have settled him in with Zzzig but she doesn't seem too impressed having to share her room." Jack settled into the offered seat as he spoke.

"You have a go for Taenarus but there is concern that we have not heard from them in some time. Extreme caution is to be taken until you are sure nothing is wrong on that planet. They were having Goa'uld attempts on their Gate and planet when you made the initial contact."

"Yes sir I remember, but we dealt rather permanently with them," Jack responded.

Hammond eyed his second in command and nodded but he was remembering other things that had happened to Jack on Taenarus. "Are you certain that they have something to do with the intelligence on Zzzig's home world? That they would be willing to help them?"

"Well that they had something to do with the creation of 'mother' there is no doubt in Carter's mind. That they will be interested enough to help? Well Kasmilos curiosity would ensure his interest; I can't speak for the rest of his race. I let the others know we are going," Jack added as he rose to his feet.

The following afternoon Jack sauntered into the Gate room to find it bustling with people. Technicians around the drone making final adjustments. A squad of armed soldiers seemed to have found a reason to be there and his team huddled together in one corner of the room. Hanging from the ceiling above them were his two spider friends. Zzzig had hung herself quietly in the corner and was watching the industry below. Zzzag could not stay still apparently, swinging and skittering from one place to another in excitement. One or two of the technicians were eyeing him nervously being used to Zzzig's calm acceptance of procedures.

"Zzzag, Zzzig get down here now!" Jack shouted and Zzzag immediately dropped to the floor. Zzzig carefully detached her web and rolled it up; she dropped to the floor and deposited it in a nearby bin. Zzzag watched her carefully for a moment and then shot back up the wall to retrieve his litter. Jack watched them and grinned, having Zzzag around was making Zzzig tidier if only to keep him in his place. "Everybody ready for this?"

"As long as we don't have to try attracting their attention again," Daniel muttered.

"We weren't trying to last time," Sam pointed out and Daniel grinned.

The sound of the Stargate activating brought their attention to it. Jack looked up to see Hammond staring down at them from the Control Room window and then back at the Gate as energy rushed into the room only to be captured and contained within the circle of the Stargate. _'It never gets old'_ he thought and smiled in anticipation of seeing an old friend. He watched as the drone hit the event horizon and disappeared then turned and climbed the stairs to the Control room with his team immediately behind him.

Zzzag began to follow but Zzzig hissed at him. "Not up there, no room for ussss. We wait, they comesss back."

"What they do?" Zzzag asked.

"Look where we go for dangerssss. No sssurpissesss, Jack no like sssurprissesss," she explained and then settled to wait at the bottom of the ramp. After a moment Zzzag joined her and managed to stop fidgeting for a while.

"I wonder what we do if they decide to mate?" Zzzig heard someone whisper.

"I wouldn't worry about it," some one else replied. "Spiders eat their mates here. I should think an intelligent one like Zzzag would want to a void that." The response of a hissing giggle from Zzzig was noted uncomfortably by her supposed mate.

Upstairs Carter was sat at the console with Daniel leaning over one shoulder and Jack the other. The pictures the drone was sending back were very different from the Taenarus they remembered.

"They've moved the Stargate," Daniel commented.

"Well we won't have far to walk to get to the central tower," Sam commented as she turned the drone for a return trip to the Gate.

"Lots of people about," Jack murmured. "They don't seem concerned about the drone."

"Perhaps they know it is from the Tauri," Teal'c stated after some thought.

"Could be," Jack acknowledged. "Sir?"

The question in Jack's voice was clear and Hammond responded immediately. "You have a go SG1. Remember your primary task is to get them to help Zzzig and her… umm... friends. If you can persuade them to part with more technology it would please a few people upstairs."

"And annoy a few more?" Jack added in casual question.

"Can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs," the General replied with a smile.

Hammond watched as his premier team accompanied by the two spiders made their way up the ramp. He wondered what kind of response the two aliens would receive and shook his head. Life was getting weirder by the day he decided as the Stargate disengaged.

**I promise a bit more action in the next chapter! Reviews welcome as always.**


	7. Chapter 7

When the Stargate initiated for a second time Kasmilos stared out from the top of the Central Tower. His tall ageless frame now topped with thick long silver hair silhouetted against the window as a dark glittering shape rose up from the floor around his feet and formed a transport platform. "Axiokersa!" His voice registered in the laboratory further down the tower. "Someone is coming."

"From Earth?" She asked as a similar platform formed to support the Kabeiroi beauty.

"Yes, definitely. We have some guests arriving who will be wondering why we have not contacted them in some time." Kasmilos commented as he glided down through the myriad levels.

Axiokersa caught him as he left the building and the platforms coalesced beneath them making one platform. The siblings could see that the event horizon had already formed and sped quickly toward it. The pair generated a barely concealed excitement as they saw the surface breach and familiar figures emerge from it. They noticed the two small figures that scampered through after them and up the nearest building. They glanced at one another with an unanswerable question in their eyes but the defences had not responded so they relaxed. The platforms descended to the ground and sank into it without leaving a trace.

Jack watched the two Kabeiroi arrive. "They are still using those little things… you know Carter."

"You mean the nanites Sir. They are their building materials after all and very efficient too. Wish I knew how they worked."

"They did explain how they worked," Teal'c commented and an unusual smile lit his face as he walked toward their hosts.

"They knew perfectly well we would not understand," Carter responded with a wry smile and Jack smirked in response.

"They did give us the satellite technology that helps screen Earth from attack however." Jack responded. "We helped them; they helped us back and without cheating. They knew we would not understand and gave us something we could understand and use."

"Axiokersa!" Daniel called with a smile which widened when she ran forward and gave him a hug. "Miss me?"

"It is good to see you again Dr Jackson," she replied coyly.

Jack rolled his eyes as he shook Kasmilos hand. "Girl in every port," he commented just loud enough for the pair to hear making Kasmilos grin.

"So how is my mind brother?" Kasmilos asked.

"Happy not to be sharing my body," Jack replied. "However good the company."

Kasmilos laughed as he turned and bowed them toward the Central Tower. "Will your old digs suit you?"

"We have brought an additional two friends with us," Jack commented looking around to see where they had gone. "Zzzig, Zzzag here now!"

"Zig Zag?" Axiokersa asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"Mother has a sense of humour," Daniel explained.

"And who is Mother?" Kasmilos queried raising an eyebrow and reminding Sam vividly of Jack O'Neill.

"That is what we have come to talk to you about." Jack began but was interrupted by the arrival of the two spiders. "This is Zzzig," Jack explained pointing to the large green spider.

"Hello ssssir," Zzzig responded politely bobbing on her spindly legs.

"And this is Zzzag," he continued. Zzzag managed to tilt his body as if examining them closely.

"This one does not talk?" Kasmilos asked.

"Yessss. Thisss one talk too," Zzzag responded.

"Jack?" The one word from Kasmilos spoke volumes to the group. They had brought the Kabeiroi a puzzle.

Then they were all diverted by Zzzig who was skittering and appeared troubled. "What is it Zzzig?" Jack asked as she proceeded to try to climb on his back. "Stop it Zzzig, you are too big to do that now."

"Ground issss moving. Zzzag tell them the ground isss moving." She responded as she put her feet gingerly back on what looked like perfectly solid ground.

"You have very acute vision young one," Kasmilos told her.

"Mother made me thisss way, Zzzag too."

"Let us get them to the old library Daniel. It is a solid old building and will be less disturbing to them. We can all talk there." Kasmilos changed direction and they all walked off to an area Daniel knew well from his last visit.

By the time they arrived at the library food and drinks had been laid out for them all. "We were not sure what Zzzig and Zzzag would eat but guessed a little protein would not go amiss."

Zzzig regarded the offered bowl for a moment and then took a piece of the food. She stopped and watched Jack pick up a piece of fruit and bite into it and was satisfied that it was safe, she took a bite. "It tastesss like bird," she told Zzzag who was still eyeing the bowl and stirring it contents. On her assurance he took some to chew, then took a second piece.

"Well now you have got your new guests settled we had better explain why we are here," Jack said dryly pulling the Kabeiroi attention away from their unusual guests.

"What… You didn't come just to see our wonderful faces?" Axiokersa asked with a smile.

"As much as an attraction as that was, no we didn't," Jack replied with a smile. "We have a problem with the Goa'uld we hope you can help us with. Actually, it's not our problem, it's theirs," Jack finished pointing at the two spiders.

"You create us, you help ssssave us from the glowing eyes," Zzzig injected with very little hiss Jack noticed.

"I definitely need an explanation to that comment," Kasmilos drawled and Jack nodded to Sam drawing every ones eyes to her.

Sam looked around the large room and gathered her thoughts. Finally as the silence extended she cleared her throat and began to explain her experience as well as she could. "Well you see… all Mother gave me was impressions… flashes of pictures of her, errr…their beginning. It is difficult to explain but as far as I understand it the planet has huge deposits of a red crystalline structure which you somehow manage to imbue with intelligence when you were on the planet."

"I was on the planet?" Kasmilos repeated.

"I saw you and Axiokersa and a few other familiar faces in the flashes of memory I saw. It was a little vague because it was the primary point of consciousness that they were trying to convey."

"One minute you say Mother, another it is they. Which is it? What is it?" Axiokersa's very precise question seemed to clarify it but the answer came from Jack not Sam.

"Mother is the crystal. The whole insect population of the planet communicates through it with each other and with outsiders. It turns them into one big hive mind. The Goa'uld are mining the crystal and damaging the communication system. They have taken a lot of it and are using it to create those nasty hand devices they use. When they use one in close proximity to the crystal it causes pain and confusion to everything connected to it. I know, I've felt it. Sam seems to think that the Kabeiroi did something while you were there to activate the crystal." When Jack finished speaking a silence fell as everyone stared at him. "What! Didn't I get it right?" He asked of the stunned room.

"Yes sir, exactly," Sam added.

"Way to go Jack," Daniel murmured.

"Zzzig was created by the hive mind somehow; we are not at all clear on that one. She was to communicate with us and ask for help. Later Zzzag was created to be her mate." Sam finished.

"Not want a mate," Zzzig murmured quietly into the room and Jack laughed. "We need Glowing eyes removed to not come back and damage Mother again."

"Fascinating," Kasmilos murmured and rose to use one of the library consoles. He tapped away for a few moments. "Haa! Yes I remember this planet well." He turned back to them. "This was a long time ago."

"It would be," Teal'c unexpectedly joined in the conversation. "You were all in stasis for thousands of years."

"As you say. This visit was some considerable time before our first troubles with the Goa'uld. This was our primary site for testing various forms of our nanite technology in its infancy. We chose the planet as it was devoid of intelligent life forms."

"Well it has them now," Jack responded. "You created Mother, unintentionally I admit. Are you going to help save her and her brood from extinction?"

**Reviews Welcome**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry guys. This is late and short as RL is interfering big time at the moment. I will try to get it together again but please be patient.**

The Stargate stood in silence surrounded by a massive force field. The Jaffa guard inside stared out at the mass of insects that could no longer harm them with increasing courage and contempt. The screen had been designed as a tall wall leaving the skies for them to come and go as they pleased. A transport flew over the Stargate and activated the transport rings to set the new guard down and remove the old. Before this action was completed the Stargate began to activate as someone dialled in. Both sets of guards turned and took up defensive positions as they waited to see who would appear.

Energy poured from the Stargate before being sucked back to stabilize in the rippling event horizon. For a moment nothing seemed to happen and then a dark cloud began to pour out hovering over the Jaffa and shutting out the sunlight. One nervous Jaffa fired into the cloud which appeared to evaporate around the energy blast. Then the cloud coalesced into a multi armed monster whose arms whipped out grabbing several of their number. It proceeded to rip the Goa'uld from their bellies and throw them screaming into the force field. The remaining Jaffa all began firing at the monster which seemed to diminish in size if only briefly. Then more of the cloud poured from the event horizon and the number of arms increased to match their number. A large mass of the cloud shot upward toward the ship overhead and surrounded it. The cloud which was a mass of nanites invaded its structure working their way inside the craft and down into its engines and power source. When they reached their goal they forced a massive surge in power and overloaded it. The ship blew apart from inside and came crashing down close to the Stargate. The nanites then attacked the screen generators and the screen collapsed.

The remnants of the nanite invaders settled to the ground in a black pool and became inert. Moments later Jack O'Neill and Kasmilos emerged from the event horizon. Kasmilos carried a small hand devise which he activated and another large cloud of nanites emerged from the Stargate and settled with those already resting on the ground. Slowly the insects of varying sizes crawled or flew from the surrounding woodland and advanced toward the Stargate. Zzzig appeared through the Gate and jumped the pair landing in front of them in a protective manner. Zzzag quickly appeared beside her and the crawling mass immediately stopped as the flying insects settled among them on the ground. The scene seemed to come to a stop for a moment and then the mass retreated out of the sun and back under the woodland canopy.

"There issss much anger. They no recognissse you," Zzzig hissed up at Jack when he approached them.

"They are ssssorry," Zzzag added.

"That's OK," Jack replied. "They make me as mad as fire too." He patted Zzzig on the head as he turned back to the Stargate to watch his team emerge.

Zzzag watched him for a moment and then asked Zzzig. "Why he hit you on the head?"

"It isss affection," Zzzig explained.

"Itsss affection to hit you?" Zzzag decided he would never understand humans.

"Hey Jack!" Daniel called. "Where are they disappearing too?"

"Out of this sun. I do not remember it being this hot here," Teal'c commented as he descended from the plinth.

"You know Kas, Teal'c is right. It's much hotter than I remember," Jack commented as he turned and headed for the woodland.

"Where are we going?" Kasmilos asked catching up with him as the team and spiders followed Jack.

"To introduce you to mother and try and sort out a permanent solution to this problem without obliterating her. You nervous Kas?"

"It has been over a thousand years since I left Taenarus Jack. I cannot help being a little shy of the rest of the universe."

"You, shy?" Jack sounded incredulous and the others laughed in response.

As they entered the woodland Zzzig moved forward to guide them and Zzzag took up the rear to watch for danger. "With our friends here this must be a bit of a busman's holiday for you," Kasmilos commented.

"They are indeed excellent at intercepting dangers," Teal'c stated in his measured way but then dropped back to walk with Zzzag and watch their rear. "We have a wave of insects following us," he told them.

"And preceding us," Sam murmured. "Hope mother doesn't want to talk to me again."

A while later when they entered the cavern Kasmilos stopped just inside and called the nanite swarm to enter. The cavern entrance darkened quickly and then a light began to rise and they could see clearly. The entrance appeared to have disappeared completely and Jack grinned. "Neat trick. Can the insects still come and go?"

"Yes. Zzzig pass on to your friends that the nanites will not impede them in any way. They will however kill anything carrying a Goa'uld lava or adult that gets too close."

"Good!" Zzzag commented gleefully.

"I have told them," Zzzig acknowledged after a moment. "Mother asks for Sam."

"Tell her we have brought someone better than me to see her," Sam responded at once.

"Ssshe has ssseen." Zzzig responded as she moved off deeper into the cave system. Zzzag skittered after her now he was sure there was no danger behind. Insects of all varieties passed by them scurrying toward the now faintly pulsing light within.

Jack suddenly felt something crawling on his back and depressed the urge to brush it off. A spider about the size of a small child's hand crawled into view on his arm and sat there. He stared down at it for a moment and Kasmilos noted the sudden distant look in his eyes with surprise. "Seems I have acquired this planet's version of a tame parrot," Jack commented after a moment. Seems we have met before in the mines. Wonder how long the ordinary spiders and insects live here?"

"It spoke to you?" Kasmilos asked.

"When I am this close to the Mother Lode I can hear them, so can Sam. Teal'c and Daniel have never admitted to hearing anything," Jack commented looking at them.

"I hear nothing O'Neill," Teal'c stated. "Possibly the Laval Goa'uld I carry is the reason."

Kasmilos nodded as if the comment confirmed something he had already surmised.

"I have not heard them either and I have tried," Daniel added.

"You would like to hear them?" Kasmilos asked and Jack noticed a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

'_What are you thinking of doing?'_ Jack wondered as he led the way to the mass of crystal embedded deep in the rock of the cave walls.


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry to make you wait so long between RL and not being able to get my head around what should happen next time just vanished! I hope you enjoy this chapter and I shall try to get the next one together faster!**

Zzzig skittered down through the cave with an increasing reluctance. She knew her friends were following close behind but deep in her mind something was gnawing at her subconscious. A feeling that something was dangerous, her highly tuned survival instinct was in over drive. Zzzag was ahead of her and eager to return to mother, she could no longer hear his thoughts or those of the insects around her. It was as if she had been cut off from the minds she had always shared her life with.

Behind her Jack slowed to a stop and the others turned to stare at him in surprise. "I don't like this," he murmured.

"What is it Jack?" Daniel asked uneasily, all too aware of Jack's instinct for danger.

"Something's not right," He murmured in a dreamy voice at odds with the words.

"Colonel?" Sam questioned unsteadily and then suddenly keeled over. As Daniel caught her and lowered her to the ground Jack's legs gave way and he crumbled, falling against Teal'c who laid him beside Sam on the ground. Then Daniel noticed that the cave was eerily silent, the insects were motionless. Even Zzzig who was still visible had ceased to move.

"Kasmilos? Any ideas of what is happening?" Daniel asked.

"No… I do not understand what is happening." Kasmilos replied. "We need to get to this crystal you told me of. I do not believe Jack and Sam are in any immediate danger."

"I will stay with them," Teal'c told Daniel as he rested a large hand on his shoulder. "You should go with Kasmilos. You will be of more help to him than I."

Daniel nodded as he reluctantly stood up and ushered Kasmilos deeper into the cave. The pulsing light from the cavern was obvious as they neared it but there was still no sound from the insects that seemed frozen in place. As they approached the main pulsing wall Zzzag skittered forward and stood between them and the wall as if protecting it.

"We just want to look Zzzag," Daniel explained quietly as he wondered why Zzzag seemed free to move.

"Mother seesss you," Zzzag responded. "She sayssss that thisss friend can give her a voicessss."

Kasmilos was looking closely at the pulsing light and suddenly sighed. Daniel was certain he heard sadness in the sound and watched as Kasmilos activated the small remote he carried. A dark swarm of nanites rushed silently past them and attached themselves to the crystal forming a small solid shape. After a moment a crackling escaped from the instrument and he realised it was a small compact speaker.

"A voice of my own at last. It has been a long time Kasmilos." A distinctly feminine voice issued from it.

"We thought you died when the experiment foundered," Kasmilos murmured quietly as if to himself.

"Who is it?" Daniel whispered bringing Kasmilos's head up and eyes back to the wall.

"It is you isn't it Axeiros?" He asked the voice.

"So you have not forgotten me?"

"We have never forgotten," Kasmilos replied. "If we had known your mind was here we would never have left you."

"So you have realised what has happened to me then?"

"I believe that when the organic nanite form we had created failed your mind was sucked down a channel into the crystal."

"You mean you lost Axeiros the same way as you were nearly lost in Jack's mind?" Daniel questioned.

"Yes, not exactly the same because we abandoned the organic form after the disaster that occurred here. We had no idea then that our nanites could create their own pathways. It was all new science and we brought it to a planet without life to test it in case something went wrong," Kasmilos explained.

"Yes and something went very wrong," Axeiros spoke from within her prison of crystal. "It was my experiment and my error, but I have paid dearly for the mistake. I have been alone for a very long time. Except of course for the friends I have created."

"What you have created here is amazing," Kasmilos told her, "But how do we retrieve you now?"

"You do not. I have no body to go back into and no wish to leave this place. I am the guardian of this planet. After the Goa'uld found this planet we were lucky that Jack O'Neill brought his people here to rescue the Bregan. Foolish people that they were, but he cannot permanently remove the menace to this world. I am hoping that the Kabeiroi can."

"What have you done to Jack and Sam?" Daniel asked interrupting the discussion impatiently.

"They are safe. Their minds are with mine in the crystal. I wished to know more of your people and I thought it was the simplest way," Axeiros explained a little worriedly it seemed to Daniel.

He smiled at the worry in the voice and glanced at Kasmilos and saw the smile reflected in his face. "Jack giving you problems?" Daniel inquired mildly.

"Jack does not like sharing his mind or body with another intelligence. When it's involuntary he tends to get really… annoyed," Kasmilos commented as he remembered his own encounter with Jack's mind.

"So it would seem," Axeiros acknowledged. "I have returned him to his body," she explained as they heard footsteps echoing across the cave. "Sam is staying a while, she does not mind and Zzzig is now protecting her body." As she spoke all the insects began to move again a steam headed toward the entrance past the feet of Jack and Teal'c as they joined the other two.

Jack looked irritated and Daniel decided not to ask about his encounter. Kasmilos had no such inhibitions. "What did it feel like to be inside the crystal?" Jack's smouldering look was enough to discourage even Kasmilos and he turned rapidly back to Axeiros. "We have various ways of protecting this planet but first we need to remove the current invaders."

He turned and looked questioningly at Jack who looked back thoughtfully now as he considered the options. "Another flood would not do it and we really do not want this ship leaving unless we can convince them that the planet no longer exists. If we can do that then you can make the planet vanish and protect the Stargate as you do on Taenarus. It is possible to do that? Is it possible to make the planet appear to blow apart and then vanish? I mean can you program enough nanites to perform this particular charade?"

Kasmilos looked thoughtful nodding slowly as Jack thought aloud. "It is possible but we will need control of the Stargate for sometime to get sufficient nanites to migrate to this planet. Axeiros how do you control the insects?"

"I have a link with the nanites we created here. They are self replicating…" Axeiros began.

"I do not like the sound of that," Daniel interrupted.

"Oh there is a failsafe, but it has never been needed. The organic nanites are finite. They have a life of approximately sixty days so there is a balance to there numbers," she explained.

"The balance has remained?" Kasmilos questioned intrigued.

"Yes, it has even resisted our attempts to increase the concentration."

"Our attempts?" Jack asked with a frown and slight shake of his head.

"The insects here have developed a genuine intelligence. At first I used them as my eyes and ears but as time went on the interaction became more two way. Their intelligence levels increased and altered, they evolved. The nanites link them into a cohesive single mind, but they have also begun to think for themselves as individuals. Zzzig was the first to attain truly individual intelligence and Zzzag was created by a similar but different line. The two of them should give this world a fully independent intelligent race."

"But you are still Mother," a familiar voice issued from the speaker.

"Carter?" Jack queried.

"Yes sir. I am listening and I have an idea about making the Goa'uld retreat, at least temporarily from the planet."

"Would you mind giving me back my Second in Command?" Jack asked dryly. "I am sure she would prefer to be in her own body."

"Yes… Of course. I am a little rusty on interaction with my own kind."

Jack could have sworn he heard amusement in the voice but Daniel was wondering about the 'own kind' comment.

Both were diverted by the sound of hurried footsteps and turned to see Sam swiftly followed by Zzzig. "I am here now," Zzzig said brightly as she stopped beside Jack.

"So I see," Jack responded. "Is the cave entrance still secure?"

"Yesss, Kassss cloud very effective," Zzzig responded.

"Carter?"

"I'm fine sir. Just a little stiff," she responded.

"The idea?"

"Oh yes sir. Well if we could massively flood the mines again, enough to make them look for somewhere else to mine. Would they not take the ship up to scan the planet for crystal deposits?"

"They would wipe the surface clean of life so that nothing would interfere with the mining again," Teal'c stated. "I am surprised that they have not already done so with the trouble you have caused them."

"To do that they would have to move the ship to above the planet." Jack sighed and sat on a rock dragging his hat off and rubbing his head. "Wouldn't it be easier to attack them with the nanites?"

"They won't penetrate the screen and I am betting that the Goa'uld noticed how we got their ship at the Stargate. A hole in their defences that will not be present at the ship." Kasmilos replied and Teal'c nodded solemnly.

"And they are hunting you as we talk and all are wearing personal screens," Axeiros intoned. "The insects cannot reach them and they draw closer."

"OK, so not a lot of time." Jack responded. "The screens are vulnerable to slow moving projectiles, like arrows and knives," he explained eyeing Kasmilos.

"Really. Now that is interesting. All their shields?"

"Nope just the small personal ones. Can we deal with anyone outside the main screens. That may drive an angry Goa'uld off planet long enough for us to do our vanishing act."

"You mean make him mad enough to rain weapons fire on the planet. Is that really a good idea?" Daniel asked worriedly.

"We need to contact the SGC and Taenarus for reinforcements," Sam muttered. "Time to report is almost on us so the SGC is not a problem."

"OK Carter you take Teal'c and find reception and report in. Tell them what we are planning and… be careful," Jack added as Sam and Teal'c began to walk away. "Daniel stay here with Axeiros and Zzzag too. Protect her and this area."

"Thisss I do," Zzzag hissed.

"And me," Daniel said patting Zzzag on the head.

He gazed up at him thoughtfully. "Thisss mean you like me assss Jack like Zzzig?"

Daniel grinned down at him. "I guess it does. If we stay near the entrance how will I talk to Axeiros?"

"Oh that is easy to fix," Kasmilos responded and as Daniel opened his mouth to say don't, a small cloud of nanites shot in making him cough. "Now you will hear her as well as Zzzag does." Daniel gave him an annoyed look but thought carefully at the crystal within the wall. _'You can hear me?'_

'_Like you are shouting at me,'_ Axeiros replied immediately.

"So what are you two going to be doing?" Daniel asked as they walked toward the cave opening.

"We are going to contact Taenarus and bring in an army," Jack replied. " A very large if tiny army. Coming Zzzig?"

The large multi faceted eyes stared at him for a moment before skittering after him. "I thought you had forgotten me."

"Never Zzzig, you are one of my favourite people," Jack responded with a grin.

With that final cheeky grin Kasmilos and Jack walked through the nanite curtain hiding and protecting the cave entrance. Jack turned back to look at the sheer wall rising where he had just walked and gazed back at Kasmilos. "There is no way the Goa'uld will find that entrance."

"I hope you are right about that Jack. One look at the mass of crystal in there and we will never get them off this planet."

"Then we will just have to find a way to destroy this ship like we did the last one," Jack replied quietly and they melted silently into the woodland in the direction of the Stargate.

**Reviews very welcome.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Again sorry for the delay.**

Sam and Teal'c left the cave and made their way along the small cliff bottom to find a way to the top. They had twenty more minutes to find a high point for line of sight to the Stargate. They needed to be in position when the SGC dialled in to send a fast report and then retreat to the cave.

As they stared up the cliff face calculating which way to climb Teal'c froze and then slowly turned. "We are being followed on the ground and in the air."

Sam turned and looked behind her at the heaving mass of insects crawling through the trees. Above them a silent threatening cloud hung and she eyed it thoughtfully. "It's a shame we don't control them. One of those flying platforms would come in handy about now." As if in answer to the comment the cloud of nanites descended beside their feet and began to coalesce. Sam stared down for a moment and then stepped gingerly onto the newly forming platform.

When she did not sink into it Teal'c followed her with a frown. "Are we certain they understand what is required on Taenarus they could not even see us?"

"We will know in a moment. Anyway, it was the kabeiroi who could not see us," Sam replied and then pointed at the ground around them. Teal'c glanced down to see the insects crawling around them and making their way swiftly up the cliff face. The platform rose gliding them easily to the upper edge and then dissolved away when they were safely delivered to the spot they had been studying. "Wish we had some of these with us on all our missions."

"It would indeed make our objectives easier to achieve," Teal'c agreed as they took out the radio and settled to waited for the appointed contact time.

Their quick arrival at the point gave them chance to have a good look around. They saw the Jaffa patrols out hunting and watched warily as one slowly approached the cave area. "They are following our tracks," Teal'c observed. "They will wonder why they disappear into the cliff face." Then he noticed the distant look in Sam's eyes and waited for her to respond.

"Mother says," then Sam grinned and began again. "Axeiros says that the insects are busily eradicating the footprints from the cave entrance back into the woodland. They will just disappear on the trackers before they get anywhere near the entrance."

"How very frustrating for them," Teal'c commented and just for a second Sam swore he sounded like Jack O'Neill.

Daniel wandered back into the depths of the cave and settled down close to the crystal mother lode. He took a bar of chocolate from his pack and began chewing thoughtfully as he surveyed his surroundings in the pulsing half light. Zzzag had settled beside him and was now watching him in a pointed fashion. "Want some of my meal?" Daniel asked waving it toward him.

"Whatsss it?" Zzzag hissed at him.

"Chocolate. There are very few members of the human race who do not like it in some form or other. You want to try it?"

Zzzag stretched out a leg to grasp the offered portion and brought it to his mouth. He carefully sucked on it before commenting. "It isss very ssssoft and hassss ssstrange flavour. Not good like fresh meat Zzzig gave me at SsssGssC."

"Well it is made from a plant so I suppose it is not your kind of thing." Daniel responded. "Actually I suppose it is made from a tree actually, the beans or seeds of the tree."

"Itsss difficult to make?"

"Complicated from start to finish I suppose. Do you like it?" Daniel asked as he finished the bar.

"Like? Whatsss to like, itssss food." Zzzag responded.

'_Nectar of the gods.'_ A voice in Daniel's head intruded.

"Sorry I could not offer you some," Daniel responded aloud.

'_Perhaps you should rest while you have the opportunity. Zzzag and our friends will watch over you. I will wake you if anything is to happen," _Axeiros told him quietly and Daniel yawned in response.

"Perhaps a few minutes won't do any harm," he responded and leaned back against the wall as his eyes became heavy. _'This is not normal,'_ he thought drowsily as sleep overtook him.

For a few minutes the cave descended into complete silence. Above him the surface of the crystal began to shimmer and appeared to evaporate. The glowing haze slowly drifted down around Daniel and with each intake of breath more of it disappeared. _'Now you too will be my eyes and ears, but also my taste and pain Daniel so do not get hurt.'_

Sam and Teal'c drifted slowly back to the base of the cliff on the platform provided by the Taenarus nanites. "I could really get used to this," Sam grinned as she alighted from the impromptu craft.

"It is indeed a useful form of transport," Teal'c agreed and then noticed the frown appearing on Sam's face. "What is wrong?"

"Axeiros is up to something," Sam responded. "My contact with her has just disappeared."

Teal'c frowned as he turned to gaze back toward the cave entrance. "There are no Jaffa close by. Why would she hide her mind?"

"Because she is up to mischief again," Sam sighed. "I don't think solitude is responsible for her behaviour, I think it's in her nature," Sam began hurrying back toward the cave entrance. "She seems to have a Puck like character."

"Who is Puck?" Teal'c asked curiously.

"Ohh a mischievous, impish, magical creature in Earth mythology," Sam responded. "Plays pranks and causes all kinds of trouble, not malicious though, just a nuisance."

"I see," responded Teal'c who clearly did not.

Several miles away Jack and Kasmilos were closing in on the Stargate having successfully avoided two Jaffa patrols. "You are quite good at this," Kasmilos commented as they saw the trees thinning and Jack called a cautious halt pulling them back into hiding again while he carefully surveyed the area they were heading for. Zzzig climbed into the tree to look over the woodland. "No movementsss," she called down.

"My team's lives have depended on it often enough," Jack responded to Kasmilos.

"And your own I would think," Kasmilos retorted. "I do not remember this stealthy approach when you first came to Taenarus."

Jack sat with his back against the tree and eyed Kasmilos with an unreadable expression on his face. After a moment he commented. "Kas, you know me better than anyone else in the universe. You were in my mind for a considerable time for better or for worse. You know we first had expected no problems and then had no choices."

"Hmmm, Kasmilos responded. "It's the no choices part that always bugs you isn't it."

Jack grinned be it a little sourly and responded. "The older I get the less I trust, choice less is not a condition that sits well." Then he stiffened and Kasmilos immediately flattened himself to the ground moving his head slowly in the direction of Jack's stare. A swift movement beside him and a slightly musty smell informed him that Zzzig had jumped down from the tree.

A ship lifted off and hovered a short distance away and then headed toward the Goa'uld mother ship. "Change of guard," Jack murmured. "Well if we are to take control of this Stargate back we will have some time now until they realise it's lost again." Kasmilos nodded but made no comment as they rose and headed for the Stargate. Zzzig skittered ahead checking the ground and woodland for signs of movement.

A silence had descended between Jack and Kasmilos as they approached the Gate. The time Kasmilos had accidentally been sucked into Jack's mind on Taenarus had created an unbreakable bond between them. Each knew what the other would do at any one moment and both advanced with a deadly purpose. A silent ally drifted in the sky a short way from them waiting to be released to its own deadly purpose. Zzzig looked back at the two men and considered the change that came over Jack whenever he was in close proximity to the Kabeiroi. Somehow they seemed to connect in a way she did not understand. In fact she realised that she resented Kasmilos a little, _'Jack isss my friend.'_

They hunkered down in the tree line to observe the activity at the Stargate. A glittering dome of energy now enclosed the Gate which was obviously controlled from within. Kasmilos remotely activated the Gate causing a flurry of activity inside the force field. They could see that the Jaffa were in the process of establishing an iris to block the Stargate so speed was definitely needed. "If we had left this any later…" Kasmilos murmured.

Jack waited a little impatiently for the wormhole to establish and watched as the clearly worried Jaffa around the Gate found objects to hide behind and wait with weapons nervously raised. _'As if that will do them any good.' _Jack thought_._ Kasmilos glanced at him as he activated the call for more nanites to migrate from Taenarus. _'It's like looking in a mirror,'_ Jack realised as he saw Kasmilos face. "You know Kas, I think that blending of minds thing you were worried about had begun to happen before they got you out of me," Jack commented as his eyes turned back to the Stargate to watch an inky blackness appear through it. Zzzig watched in fascination as the nanites appeared like a flying insect swarm so dense she could not see any light; in fact she lost sight of the Gate. This time the volume of nanites exiting the Gate was in the trillions. All light within the force field disappeared as they invaded the protected area. A faint sound of screaming briefly reached them before a large explosion erupted within the force field. As the screen held for a second, the explosion reflected inward obliterating everything inside.

Then the screen dissolved and fire erupted into the sky. "I think the Goa'uld might notice that," Jack commented dryly.

"Then we had better hurry," Kasmilos responded with a confident smile.

They rose and hurried away from the Stargate leaving it open to allow the nanites to continue to migrate. The inky blackness spread filling the sky behind them gradually covering the sky to the horizon. Jack looked back at the familiar sight and asked. "How much will we be able to do without those massive pillars and mirrors?"

"We do not require them any more," his friend replied. "We have not been idle since you rescued us from our predicament."

Meanwhile Sam and Teal'c entered a silent cave. The insects that had always been in attendance of the mother were no longer there. The worried frown on Sam's face increased as she hurried into its depths and they reached the crystal wall staring around at the emptiness. Zzzag sidled up to them with a hiss. "You been long time," he complained.

"Where is Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c demanded and Zzzag skittered away.

Sam and Teal'c looked at each other in concern and hurriedly searched along the wall. They found Daniel in a darkened corner by the sound of his snoring. He was lying twisted sideways with his hand and head on a rock. _'Not a comfortable position,'_ Sam thought as she leaned over and shook his shoulder.

Daniel stirred and looked at them through blurry eyes has he tried to remember what he was supposed to be doing. "Hi," he mumbled as he felt around for his missing glasses. Teal'c retrieved them for him and Daniel settled them back on his nose, pushed his hair out of his eyes and growled. "What happened to me?"

"Good question Daniel. Here's another. Where is the crystal that was in this wall?" Sam asked.

They all turned to stare at the patch of wall where Daniel had been found sleeping. On its surface at least not a trace of the crystal remained. "Where's Zzzag?" Daniel suddenly asked.

"He ran away from us when we asked where you where," Teal'c responded.

Daniel spun round calling for the spider who immediately appeared at his side. "Sssee. Daniel isss not harmed."

"Why would we think he was Zzzag?" Sam asked. "What has Axeiros done?"

**Please review. At the moment I am writing myself into a corner! RL is destroying my concentration!**


	11. Chapter 11

Daniel was feeling hungry and rummaged around in his back pack but could find nothing else to eat. _'I'm sure I have more food somewhere,'_ he thought. He, Sam and Teal'c had settled just inside the cave entrance while they waited for Jack and the others to return.

Teal'c was taking the opportunity to meditate and a number of the returning insects now surrounded him and appeared to be watching. It was a strange menagerie varying in size colour and noises, the sounds increased until it could not be ignored. They appeared to be discussing Teal'c. After attempting to ignore them for a while Teal'c opened his eyes and stared around at the floor of the cave. "This is most distracting," he announced in a mildly annoyed voice.

"Well they are curious about what you are doing," Axeiros commented from the speaker that had relocated itself above the cave entrance. "As am I."

"I am meditating," Teal'c responded and closed his eyes again attempting to ignore the low hiss and rattling noise around him.

"He needs to meditate to replenish his strength and allow the larval Goa'uld inside him to repair his body." Sam explained a touch distracted as she was writing notes on a pad retrieved from her discarded backpack. Daniel picked up the discarded pack and began rummaging through it. Finally Sam looked up and frowned. "What are you looking for?"

"Chocolate," Daniel mumbled. "Hungry."

"There's a bar in the side pouch if you're that desperate. Honestly Daniel are you sure you're alright?" Sam asked.

"I'm fine Sam. Don't worry about me," Daniel replied as he tore open the package and began to munch. A sigh emitted from the wall causing all three to look up and then at each other. Daniel shrugged his shoulders and Sam raised an eye brow.

Teal'c stood up and moved further away from them and the wall to resettle and concentrate on his Kel-No-Reem. Sam went back to writing and the cave reverted to the faint rustle and hiss of insects and the faint pulsing light from deeper in the cave. No one noticed Daniel get up and walk away from them. No one saw as he walked through the nanite screen and out of the cave. No one noticed for far too long.

Daniel was suddenly aware that he was outside. He spun slowly around in confusion trying to work out how he was now alone in the woodland. A deep gnawing hunger distracted him momentarily. "Need to find something to eat," he muttered. "Where is everyone? What am I doing…?" He stopped as the sound of voices reached him and he dived behind the nearest tree, instinct telling him to hide. After a moment a Jaffa walked into view followed quickly by two more. He could not hear what was being said but they looked unhappy. He shrank back into the shadows making himself as small as possible. Daniel was distinctly unhappy but in his head he heard a whisper. _'Don't let them find you."_

'_Axeiros? What am I doing out here?'_ Daniel responded as his mind sharpened and the hunger died away.

'_I am sorry; I just wanted to look at the world through human eyes again. You are not far from the cave.'_

'_Jack is not going to be pleased with either of us. Why can't I remember getting here," _Daniel thought back at her as he stared at the approaching Jaffa.

'_My organic nanites took a while to understand your physiology. Some of Kasmilos nanites were already settled in you, I did not realise it would take time for them to merge their programming. Your mind seemed to shut down for a while. I only wanted to look at the world.'_

Daniel could swear he could hear a sullen sound to her thoughts. _'Someone telling you off?'_ He thought at her and then looked up to find himself staring at the wrong end of a staff weapon. _'Shit!'_ was his last thought and in the cave Axeiros screamed in pain.

Zzzig skittered into the cave excitedly looking for Zzzag. "We havesss very big weapon. We kill all Goa'uld." She called at Zzzag with barely a hiss. Then she looked around at the cave and bounced gently on the spot as Jack and Kasmilos appeared beside her through the nanite curtain. "Where isss Daniel?"

Jack immediately scanned the cave and asked, "Carter, where is Daniel?"

Carter put down her writing pad and looked around as she got up a worried frown appearing on her face. A few feet away Teal'c's eyes flew open and he rose in one fluid movement looking round.

"Axeiros, where is Daniel?" Kasmilos called out with a sense of foreboding.

"He has just gone for a little walk," she replied.

"Daniel would not just go for a little walk," Jack responded with a frown. "Where has he gone?"

"Outside so I could see the woodland," Axeiros replied in a quiet voice.

"What!" Jack shouted then bit off further comment as Kasmilos intervened.

"Daniel would never do something so foolhardy Axeiros. What have you done?" He asked in an increasingly angry voice.

Jack threw down his pack and turned toward the inner cave, anger emanating from him but he didn't have a chance to move or respond. Axeiros suddenly let out a wailing scream of pain. "Daniel!"

"Where!" It was a one word demand that would accept no delay. Jack was furious and desperately worried about his friend. "Axeiros!" he hollered when she did not respond.

A weak voice emanated from the pulsing wall. "Directly in front of the cave. He had only taken a hundred or so steps before…."

"Before what?" Jack demanded as he checked his weapon and turned toward the exit.

"Before he realised where he was," she finished quietly. "He was in pain and then nothing. The insects say there was fire that hit him in the chest. I am sorry!" She called out to them as they all ran from the cave with Zzzag and Zzzig in the lead. They were moving faster than their human friends had ever seen them and they disappeared from view.

The spiders found the spot quickly but there was no sign of Daniel's body. "Wheressss him?" Zzzag hissed in frustration.

Zzzig noticed something flash in the undergrowth and sprang at it. She lifted the remains of Daniel's glasses as Jack reached them and he took them from her and looked around.

Teal'c knelt by the tree and read the trampled ground worry clear in his face. "Daniel hid here but they found him. Three of them," he continued as he looked up. "The mark of a staff weapon blast is on the tree and…" he stood up and pointed. "They went in that direction carrying a heavy weight… Daniel."

"Why didn't they leave the body?" Kasmilos asked distressed but puzzled.

"They want information. If they have a sarcophagus they will revive him to be questioned," Sam responded and looked at Jack who grimaced.

"At least he will be alive, but how do we get him out of the ship?" Jack responded trying not to think of what another time in a sarcophagus would do to Daniel.

Zzzag suddenly let out a strange wailing noise and Jack looked down at Zzzig. "The Goa'uld have Daniel at the mine already. Zzzag issss not happy assss they are leaving now."

The group looked up in time to see the ship rising ahead of the oncoming darkness caused by the nanites still pouring through the Stargate. Jack looked at Kasmilos who responded immediately to the unvoiced question. "I will send enough for whatever is needed," he commented as he began manipulating his small controller. "Axeiros is linked to Daniel and will be able to speak to him as soon as he wakes, if he wakes. If we can get him to leave the ship the nanites will protect him."

"Axeiros is a liability," Sam snapped angrily. "How can we trust her not to do something stupid?"

"Daniel has taken nanites into the ship. Now they are there can we use them?" Teal'c asked Kasmilos who immediately nodded.

"Then we just have to get Daniel outside of the screens. Make this planet look like it's blowing up and then make it vanish," Jack responded. "I agree with Carter, Axeiros cannot be trusted not to cause more harm."

"She didn't intend for this to happen," Kasmilos said quietly. "She has been alone for a long time and has controlled this world through her mind without boundaries to her behaviour. It appears she has forgotten how to ask politely for what she wants." From Kasmilos that comment on one of his own people was damning enough.

If Jack had not been so worried about Daniel it would have produced a wry smile. As it was his eyes narrowed and Kasmilos knew Axeiros had lost a friend.

"We getsss Daniel back, yessss?" A plaintive voice from behind Jack brought him round to Zzzag and he patted him reassuringly on his head.

"I hope so Zzzag, I really do. Zzzig ask Axeiros to hunt Daniel's mind on that ship. I'm certain they'll revive him and that they will not leave orbit." Jack thought rapidly as he spoke. "I think they are moving away from the wave of darkness until they know what it is and how to deal with it. They will try to get this information from Daniel and to do that they will have to revive him. We need to time the deception with his attempt to leave the ship."

"A diversion," Kasmilos commented. "I think the most difficult part will be persuading Daniel to step out of an escape hatch."

"Daniel Jackson would not do anything so foolish," Teal'c commented.

"He will trust Carter," Jack replied looking at his second in command.

Sam took a deep breath. "I will need to reconnect with Axeiros to speak to him."

"Sorry Carter," Jack apologised. "It will be his only way back. Unlike the rest of us he cannot fly any kind of aircraft so stealing a death glider is out of the question."

The group retraced their steps to the cave. "We are going to have to wait until Daniel is revived.

Daniel woke to darkness and confusion, his chest hurt and he couldn't see. "Well that seems normal," he said aloud but there was no response. He put his hands out in front of him to try to get his bearings and a light flickered on and he stared at the walls of a small cell. The metal walls and automated door looked ominously familiar and he put his head in his hands and groaned. "Not again."

'_Daniel…. Daniel can you hear me?"_ The quiet voice echoed in his brain familiar and yet different.

'_Axeiros? Not now I have enough problems," _he responded.

'_Listen Daniel… The ship has taken off and we need to set the plan in motion to fool them.'_

'_Sam is that you?' _Daniel thought.

'_Yes Daniel, we need you to get off the ship.'_

'_And how do you suppose I am going to do that?'_ Daniel's thoughts took on a sarcastic edge and he thought, not for the first time that he spent to much time around Jack.

'_The nanites inside you will release you from your cell and deal with any guard outside. There are enough of the Kabeiroi nanites in you to do that. Then you must find a way off or you will be killed!'_

'_Or worse,'_ Daniel responded but looked at the door and tried to relax.

"He is ready for you to change the nanites instructions," Axeiros told Kasmilos back in the cave. I have instructed mine to remain within him for now." Everyone looked at Kasmilos who began sending the signal for the nanites to leave Daniel.

Back in his cell Daniel suddenly had an irresistible urge to cough and a small cloud of nanites shot out of his mouth and nose. They rose, consolidated and then drifted to the door and appeared to vanish into the door edges. After a moment the door slid open and Daniel poked his head carefully into the corridor. On the floor to one side lay a Jaffa motionless and Daniel threw the staff weapon across his chest and grabbed his arms dragging him into the cell. He stepped out into a deserted corridor and closed the door behind him. _'Now what?'_ he thought at Axeiros.


	12. Chapter 12

**I have to apologise for an inconsistency in the last chapter which I have tried to redress in this one. Not easy, if I make a mistake it is usually a big one. If you haven't noticed it that's fine, I didn't really make a mistake, LOL.**

Sam settled back to the floor of the cave with a grimace. She wondered briefly why the organic nanites within this planet were compatible with her physiology when the nanites from Taenarus could not find a way in even past the Goa'uld markers. Why her when Teal'c was still excluded?

She looked over at Kasmilos talking quietly with Jack and sighed a nagging worry surfacing. Until now she had believed that the time they had accidentally been forced to share Jack's body was behind them with no long term effects. Now as she watched them interact she was not so sure. When they were together they seemed to be one mind. It unsettled her to see the Colonel always in accord with this alien almost as if they were twins.

She sighed, laid back and closed her eyes. After a moment her eyes flashed open again and looked up at the calm face of Teal'c sitting beside her. "You OK Teal'c?"

"I am well. It is you who must again enter this Axeiros mind. This I cannot do." Teal'c responded with a thoughtful look on his face. "It appears strange to me that these things can enter you but not me and yet before…"

"Before," Sam agreed, "they couldn't enter either of us. It has something to do with the organic makeup of these nanites, it has to be and I have no Goa'uld present, perhaps…" The thought trailed off. "Anyway, here goes nothing."

Teal'c looked down at Sam as she closed her eyes and reached out mentally for Axeiros. A frown appeared on his face as Jack approached. "Something wrong Teal'c?" He asked as he settled down and stretched his legs and eased his aching knee.

"What does here goes nothing mean exactly?" Teal'c asked. "If there is nothing then how can it go anywhere?"

Kasmilos chuckled as he settled beside Jack and leaned back against the wall of the cave and Jack grinned in response as he followed suit. "Our bodies are in your hands," he told Teal'c as he relaxed.

A cloud of nanites hovered over the pair for a moment and then appeared to dissipate as they all found ways into the two bodies. A silence descended on the cave and Teal'c looked over at Zzzig and Zzzag swinging gently in their recently made webs a little way from the group.

"We will protect. If any find ussss we will all attack," Zzzig hissed faintly.

"Yessss," Zzzag agreed.

A rare smile of amusement hovered around Teal'c mouth; even he was not immune to the humour of these creatures.

"Teal'c," a voice whispered. "Zzzig, Zzzag, there is someone searching along the base of the cliff near the entrance."

Axeiros had whispered close to his ear and Teal'c froze momentarily and then slowly turned his head. A small cricket-like insect sat on his shoulder by his ear. "I am for you," it said. "Mother thought it wrong for you to be left out. Now you can talk to Mother too." Teal'c's eyebrow rose in surprise at the tiny voice and he looked up at the pulsing wall behind him.

"She says she is busy and this way is easier for her."

Teal'c nodded thoughtfully as Zzzig sidled up to him and stared at his shoulder. "Hellos ssstranger," she whispered and then moved toward the hidden entrance. Zzzag skittered toward the nanite curtain without a backward glance eager for the coming battle.

Teal'c stood up with his new friend balanced on his shoulder and followed them to investigate the reported sighting. "Hold on tight as I may move suddenly."

"I have wings too," it whispered back.

Safe within the cave three bodies lay in silence, all breathing slowly but lacking conscious occupation. Insects crawled over them in increasing numbers slowly burying the bodies. After a short while there was no sign of the bodies' just one slowly shifting pile of insects, one gigantic nest.

Sam looked down and the mass from within Axeiros and mentally shuddered_. 'I don't suppose any Jaffa that got in here would want to get to close to that, unless they were ordered too.'_

'_That is what I hope, but I think your Teal'c will keep them out. Now you think at Daniel and I will channel it. Kasmilos will co-ordinate with Jack, I do not want to antagonise him anymore than I have.' _Axeiros told Sam as she noticed an amused emotion colour her mind. _'He does not like me I think.'_

'_You put a friend and someone whose safety he is responsible for in harms way. That will not be easily forgiven,' _Sam responded as she felt the rush in her mind as it sped toward the Goa'uld ship.

'_Jack?'_ The questioning note in Kasmilos mind was soft and tentative. He had not been in Jack's mind since being extracted by Janet Frasier and Axiokersa on Taenarus. The accidental slide into his friend's mind and being trapped then had left him nervous of such intimate contact. Even among the Kabeiroi he had avoided mind bonding with anyone. Now he entered Jack's mind easily, far too easily and the sense of merging filled him with panic.

'_Easy Kas, don't you go panicking in here. This is my head remember.'_ Jack's easy humour steadied him.

'_I guess I didn't expect to find myself in here,' _Kasmilos thought cautiously.

'_We spent to long sharing the same head. Let's not do it again,' _Jack responded and they turned there combined minds toward the massive nanite cloud now coalescing above the planet's surface. _'Last time I did this I wore a headset,'_ Jack thought.

'_The nanites inside you are doing the transmitting now. Much more efficient,' _was the response. _'I will create the illusion of the planet's demise; you create the vehicle to get Daniel back to the surface.'_

'_Got ya,'_ Jack responded as he tried to visualise speeding out of the atmosphere and found himself surrounded by the blackness of space immediately. _'Wow!'_ he thought as he mentally flinched at the fast response to his thought. _'Where is Daniel?'_

'_Sam says he's looking for a way off the ship. They know he is free and looking for him. See here,' _Kasmilos thought mentally pointing at a spot in space._ These are the nanites inside the ship. Use them to confuse the searchers.'_

Jack unconsciously slid a barrier between Kasmilos and himself and concentrated on the job in hand. He smiled as he pictured Daniel peeking into a corridor of the ship and then running from the Jaffa. Inside the ship two groups of nanites in separate parts of the ship spread out and began generating light. Two three dimensional pictures of Daniel formed within the light reproducing the actions within Jack's mind. In both sections of the ship Jaffa began chasing the illusion.

In one of the corridors Daniel watched the facsimile of himself appear and then run off with Jaffa in pursuit. _'Who?'_

'_Jack,'_ was Sam's one word response. _'Find an airlock.'_

'_If you think I am going to step out of an airlock you are out of your mind. How do I get past the screens anyway?' _Daniel thought in response a mixture of fear and irritability colouring his thoughts.

'_Why would the screens be on? It would be a waste of power. They aren't under attack.' _Sam replied with a surety she did not feel.

'_We can send a few nanites through first, then we will know, but we have to get you off the ship.' _Axeiros intruded into the discussion. _'You are running out of time. Everything is almost in position; this Goa'uld must believe the planet is gone.'_

'_OK, Ok, I am hurrying,'_ Daniel muttered as he slipped in to the Glider bay and eyed the ships hanging there thoughtfully. _'Can Jack or you fly one of those remotely with the nanites to help?'_

'_You would have to get it outside the ship for us to take control. No wait, if there are enough organic nanites… I don't see why we couldn't. Hold on while we revise the plan a little.' _Sam thought rapidly and then vanished from Daniel's mind.

Daniel crept along inside the hangar looking for a Glider that appeared prepared for flight and as close to the take off drop as he could get. He climbed inside a likely looking craft as he waited for Sam's help. Suddenly he heard voices and ducked low in the seat and prayed that he had not picked the wrong craft to hide in.

On the planet below the Stargate closed down and then began dialling in yet again. The area around it cleared rapidly of the nanite cloud as they avoided the area of the energy build up. The Stargate's tongue of energy poked out into the world and then settled again. Almost immediately nanites began pouring through the event horizon but these headed straight up high into the atmosphere. In the hours up to this point they had managed to coat the surface of the world with a thin blanket which was now being rapidly reinforced. The dark cloud crawled outward and upward thickening and bubbling its way to the outermost fringes of the atmosphere.

At that point most of them stopped as Kasmilos slowly wove a net of energy across the upper surface. The nanites remained dark however, none emitting energy or revealing their function. _'Jack I am almost ready. You need to get Daniel out of the ship now,'_ he thought at his friend.

'_Tell Sam to guide the ship beyond the screens and then I will take over. We will be waiting for them,'_ Jack responded as he began to gather his nanites into a protective formation close to the Gliders exit point. _'I'm ready now!'_ His mind shouted at Kasmilos and echoed on into Axeiros and Sam's minds.

In the ship Daniel felt a need to cough and tried to dampen it. There were still Jaffa in the Hangar and he began convulsing in his attempt to stay quiet as the organic nanites left him. As the thin cloud began to invade the ship's controls the cough reflex took over. The sound was loud and it echoed through the hangar as Daniel flinched and tried to make himself smaller. He heard footsteps approaching the Glider he was hiding in as the ship shuddered and lift. As it dropped and the wings began to extend the sound of the footsteps were drowned out by the engine noise but a staff weapon blast bounced off the canopy and a crack began to appear. "Huh Ohh!" Daniel groaned as he straightened up in the seat and stared at the crack as the Hangar disappeared above and behind him. The Glider hit vacuum outside the Goa'uld ship and the crack began to spread in fast jerking motions. Daniel shrank away from it into the seat watching the impending breach helplessly. Without the nanites in his system he had no way to tell the others of the disaster about to befall him.

Below him he saw the planet appear to waiver and flashes of light began to dance over its surface. Suddenly the crack stopped expanding and the canopy began to glisten like millions of tiny crystals. The crack vanished in the maze of tiny flashing lights and then the screen reappeared again. Daniel sighed with relief and then saw a shadow forming in the seat in front of him. As it coalesced Jack's face turned to look at him and grin cheekily.

"OK, so I am really glad to see you Jack," Daniel commented dryly and Jack nodded but did not respond. "I take it you can hear me but have no way of answering," Daniel commented and Jack nodded without turning to him. "So… now you want me to shut up and let you concentrate?" Daniel hazarded a guess and the head nodded again. The archaeologist relaxed back into his seat and looked down at the planet.

The flashing lights had grown bigger and were merging as he felt the jolt of enemy fire hit the Glider and he glanced up and back. He had momentarily forgotten about the Goa'uld. Jack spun the Glider end over end and was firing even as it straightened up. Daniel's head felt light with the disorientation but he saw one of the Gliders immediately blossom flame and disintegrate. Then another but something again hit the ship and the sound of escaping air reached his ear. "Losing air!" he shouted knowing Jack could hear him. The air stopped escaping almost immediately and after a moment he remembered to breathe again. Jack's head appeared to turn to check him and then the ship fired one final burst before flipping again and running for the planet's surface.

A huge planet wide explosion erupted below them and the fire and concussion boiled out toward the ship. Daniel flinched again and yelped; he could not help it. "The planet could not have exploded, it is a hoax." He spoke aloud as the cloud of destruction reached the ship. He felt rather than saw the Glider disintegrate around him in the concussion, but discovered he was not in the Glider but hundreds of feet below it in a bubble of nanites. They solidified around his feet and slowed his descent, above him he could see a shield forming. Suddenly a voice re-entered his head_. 'Jack has you Daniel and is bringing you down.'_ It was Kasmilos voice that he heard but it confused him.

'_How did you get back inside my head?'_ All he heard in answer was a laugh. _'You are as bad as Axeiros!'_ he stormed finally exploding.

'_Sorry Daniel, I had a lot on my mind, but you were never alone I promise,' _Kasmilos told him.

'_Aren't I moving a little fast Jack?'_ Daniel asked apprehension reasserting itself and he slowed immediately.

The nanites below his feet began to reform into a standard nanite platform and the shield protecting him in space began to disappear. A wind began to whip his hair around and he had the sense to pull up his feet and move into a seated position. The platform moved with him and a rim and handle appeared in front of him which he caught and held tightly. Above him the sky had turned a deep blue without a trace of the devastating explosion he had seen. Then he looked down and could see a small speck that turned rapidly into a Tel'tak. "Jack there is a Goa'uld ship near you!" He shouted. "Where is everyone?"

Below him Teal'c looked up to see the platform descending. "It is Daniel," a little voice whispered in his ear.

"He should not descend just here. Tell them to take him away from the Tel'Tak," Teal'c responded as he moved quietly toward the group of searching Jaffa. "They must not transmit to the ship it will tell them we are still here."

"Mother ssssayss they know thissss," Zzzig hissed at him excitedly and Teal'c looked at her with a raised brow. "I have no fressssh food for long timessss." Teal'c nodded and continued to move forward. The idea of Zzzig eating 'Jaffa cake' occurred to him and a grin appeared on his face. He could not understand why this natural facet of their new friends filled most Tauri with revulsion and he motioned silently to the spiders. Zzzag and Zzzig separated from him disappearing into the undergrowth in opposite directions. The three of them closed in on the group cautiously.

Further down the cliff face a solitary Jaffa moved slowly along searching the rock wall with his hands. He had seen Teal'c and hidden; now he searched in the direction he had come. There were no insects to be seen as they had retreated to protect the bodies in the cave. The Jaffa did not understand the absence but smiled grimly as he continued to search. He would be well rewarded for finding the solution to this planets mystery people, although he suspected already that the Tauri had found this place. He placed a hand on the rock face and his protective shield lit up with a multitude of tiny sparks and he withdrew his hand in surprise. Then he pushed his hand in and realised that the rock face was not there.

Silently above him Daniel hovered wondering how to deal with this Jaffa. He noticed that the hand had touched the wall but the nanites that touched the screen were destroyed and it puzzled him. _'How can the screen be that selective?'_

'_It can not be. They do not have this kind of technology,'_ Kasmilos told him.

'_You need to wake up,'_ Daniel all but hissed.

'_Sam is waking. We cannot leave the deception until the Goa'uld are gone. Jack has an idea though. Do not get too close.'_

As Kasmilos thought intruded Daniel heard the rumble of grinding rock almost level with his platform. The Jaffa looked up but did not see him and Daniel realised he was covered by the same invisibility that now cloaked the planet. Large chunks of rock suddenly cascaded over the cliff edge and rained down on the single Jaffa below battering his shield.

Further down the cliff face the Jaffa stopped as they heard the sound of falling rock and turned toward it. Zzzag hissed quietly and spoke to Axeiros. _'They all wear the energy, we cannot reach them.'_

'_Jack's idea is a good one. Wait… your friends are working… let them come closer.'_

The little voice on Teal'c's shoulder echoed the thought and Teal'c withdrew to the shadows to watch. A rumbling began all along the cliff face and rock began cascading along several hundred yards of the face. When the Jaffa turned to move out of harms way Teal'c opened fire on them. Although their shields held they hesitated just long enough for the rock to begin raining down on them.

Along the bottom of the cliff several screens overloaded and died leaving the Jaffa to be buried by the rock. Zzzig and Zzzag immediately leapt into the area followed by a mass of heaving insects that had come pouring over the cliff face. Teal'c ran toward three remaining Jaffa. One had an overloading shield and one staff weapon blast finished it off. Zzzig lost interest in the buried Jaffa and leapt at the live and moving prey taking him down with a hiss of triumph. The remaining two turned toward Teal'c as the most immediate danger to them. A large rock flew at them catching one and Teal'c swung round in surprise to see a catapult dissolving. The rock picked the Jaffa up and threw him against the rock face, his screen fluctuated but held and the Jaffa struggled to push it out of his way. Teal'c faced the other Jaffa knowing that firing was pointless. The second Jaffa recovered and moved toward Teal'c beside himself with anger. His screen went down as he swung at Teal'c and the pair began a deadly struggle.

Sam appeared at the cliff bottom picking her way over the fallen rock and looking for Jaffa that were still alive. She looked at the scene with mild satisfaction until she saw Teal'c fighting with a Jaffa even larger than himself. She stood for a moment undecided as she was uncertain of how Teal'c would react to her interference in the duel. Then the decision was no longer hers to make as Teal'c caught his opponent in the side of the head and he went down. Teal'c dropped to his knees, exhausted and unable to finish the fight. Sam ran to his side. "Teal'c? You OK?" she asked and he nodded picking up his Staff weapon and using it to haul himself back to his feet.

"A worthy opponent," He commented and Sam grinned as they both walked away.

Neither of them noticed the Jaffa move or see him begin to reach for his weapon. They did not look back when they heard his scream of terror so they did not see Zzzag leap on the injured man and begin to wrap him in silk. "You kill now Zzzag?" His mate asked him.

"No kill... no hungry now. Laterssss."

The last Jaffa had disappeared during the fight and was not seen by Sam. He had realised they were outnumbered and headed for the Tel'Tak to call for reinforcements. The ship stood unprotected by a screen and he ran quickly into it. After a quick check for insects he shut the hatch and turned off his screen. Then he called the Mother ship but received no response so he tried again.

"That is pointless; we will not allow you to make that call."

The Jaffa spun round to be confronted by the Tauri he had killed the day before and dived away from the console. He was not quick enough as the Zat Daniel had acquired spat. The energy caught his leg sending him flailing to the floor but not rendering him unconscious. Despite the pain he twisted to fire back at his attacker but Daniel's Zat spat again and this time the Jaffa lay still. Daniel walked over and looked down at him recognising his face. For a moment Daniel's face was unreadable and then he fired again turned and left the Tel'Tak. He walked back toward the cave thinking that Teal'c should be able to fly the Tel'Tak back to Earth for them.

Jack was in a quandary. '_Kas, can you hold the screen on your own now?'_

'_Most of it is now on automatic and will hold as long as the ship does not search too closely. Why?'_

'_We have a visitor and Sam is out helping Teal'c,'_ Jack responded.

'_I can manage now the ship is moving away.'_

'_Lock out the Stargate in case they try to dial in,'_ Jack responded. _'Just in case this one has any brain and is suspicious.' _Kasmilos responded with a laugh and followed Jack's suggestion.

Jack willed himself out of nanite reality into his own. Underneath the moving mass of insect he slid his hand to pick up the weapon by his side. Then he checked his knife was still in its sheaf. The insects over him began to thin as they scuttled away and Jack quickly sat up scanning the cave as he did so. His eyes connected with an injured Jaffa with a fluctuating shield. It still had enough power to keep the insects at bay but blank areas showed. The Jaffa turned lifting his staff weapon as he saw Jack. The insects suddenly attacked despite the shield, intent on protecting their friend. Jack saw what was happening and surge to his feet bringing the P90 into line and firing in one fluid motion. He swung the weapon spraying the Jaffa from floor upwards in an attempt to kill the shield and reduced the losses to Axeiros friends. The shield flashed and died from the extra load and the insects swarmed over the screaming Jaffa stinging and biting him. The Jaffa collapsed and disappeared under a heaving mass.

Jack walked carefully over to the mass trying to avoid squashing anything. He turned to see the other insects retreating from the cave and Kasmilos reappearing. "So Axeiros that was the last of them?" He asked.

"Yes Jack. All of your friends are unhurt," she responded.

"What about your friends?" Jack asked in a voice difficult for her to decipher and this time she was not tempted to send nanites to read him.

"Many died, but not as many as would have without this clever deception. You and Kasmilos work well together. You have an unusual mind," Axeiros commented thoughtfully.

"So I have been told," Jack responded. "Me, I don't see it. Just a strong sense of survival." Axeiros laughed in response to that particular inconsistency but did not point it out she was just glad he was not angry with her now.

The nanite curtain on the cave dissolved as his team crossed the threshold. "We have a Tel'Tak to take back to Earth," Daniel called to Jack.

"They will be pleased," Jack responded dryly. "Shall we all take the scenic route home?" His team grinned in response. "Where is Zzzig?"

"I am here Jack," Zzzig responded from the cave entrance. "I not come with you now. I stay with Zzzag." Zzzag sidled up to her hissing. "You sssstay for me?"

"Yessss and I promissse not to eat you," Zzzig responded slyly.

"Hsssssss hsssssss," Zzzag responded. "Wessss not like Tauri sssspiderssss then?"

"No you are not," Axeiros responded. "You are my children and will grow old together and watch your young grow old."

"Both of usssss? Babiessss no eat me?" Zzzig asked.

"Both of you," she assured her.

Kasmilos opened his eyes and joined in the conversation. "I have dialled out and several technicians are coming to set up a permanent defence here. Axeiros is again under the protection of her children. Thank you Jack, your concern for the inhabitants of this world has given us back a much missed treasure. We will care well for your friends."

"To be honest I think my superiors were more concerned with denying the Goa'uld the crystal," Jack responded with a small smile. "Our objectives coincided."

"May they always do so," Kasmilos responded as he rose to his feet. "Shall we go meet my friends?"

Jack solemnly waved him forward and then nudged him as he passed. Kasmilos punched his arm and grinned as Jack rubbed the area. "You are getting stronger Kas," Jack told him.

"I have been training," he responded. "Something else I learned from you my friend."

**Reviews are most welcome for my last Stargate adventure.**


End file.
